Letters
by TheTrainTicket
Summary: So a cheerleader was semi-stalking a delinquent… that was a twist on the fairytale. Sort of.


**A/N: I got waaaay too invested in this. Basically, I had a dream where Mariku and DMG went to high school and she was sending him love letters. And I thought "Oh hey, that's kinda cute, why don't I write a fic?" And then… this monstrosity happened T_T I find it slightly ironic that my first high school AU was written after I graduated college, oops…**

**Side note before reading – I don't know if DMG has a little "fanon" name. She probably does somewhere and I haven't seen it, but "Dee" is just my nickname for her. Mariku wants the Dee. And that could not be a more inaccurate description of this fic.**

**Letters**

He almost missed the first letter. It was just lying there on top of the rest of his schoolwork, regular notebook paper, not easily distinguishable unless someone was looking for it. Fortunately, however, he _did_ spot it, and pulled it open, suspecting that it might have been the assignment he had recently lost. When he recognized this wasn't the case, Mariku almost threw the paper aside – it took his brain half a second to realize it was written in pink pen.

"_Hey, this is kinda awkward but… I think you're really cute!"_

That was all it read. Big, loopy letters that took up the whole page. It didn't look rushed, though, but that may have been due to the fanciness of the handwriting. He flipped it around, looking for anything else. But that was it – just that one sentence.

Mariku didn't know how to feel about it. How the hell was he _supposed _to feel about it? Was this a joke? Did one of his buddies decide to prank him? Must be… how else would this be explained…

The bell rang, signaling that class would start in a minute. Mariku stopped caring about punctuality long ago, but it was an excuse to shove the letter into his locker and go about his day. Maybe he'd ask around, see if it really was one of his friends. Which it had to be.

In class, however, Mariku couldn't stop his eyes from wandering, looking to see if any of the girls wrote with pink pens.

"What was the formula again?"

He was snapped back into reality. "I never pay attention, Jou, you know that…"

"Well can I look over your notes anyway?"

"Knock yourself out…" he handed over his notebook, not even turning to look at Jounouchi. When he felt it leave, he put his hand back down on his desk and drummed his fingers.

Who had he pissed off recently that would want to get him back? Kaiba? Nah… Kaiba was a direct, hands-on type… this seemed more like Bakura. No, no it didn't… it was too juvenile… or rather, just too innocent. He would've known Mariku wouldn't fall for a trick like this. Maybe Malik? This seemed like Malik's territory. But what motive would he have? Mariku and Malik stopped associating with each other a long time ago. Could've been Rex and Weevil… those little punks might pull this sort of stunt.

Yes, that had to be it – and if not them, then maybe their friends, or someone like them.

Just then, a few girls in the front row started giggling. Mariku perked up. What were they laughing about? Was this some kinda dumb "girl's night" prank? Did someone dare one of their friends to give a corny love letter to the biggest punk in school?

That made a little more sense, actually… and if that was the case, he would let it go. Mariku knew how to pick his fights – if it was just some dumb girls playing a dumb trick, then who cares? If anything, he'd look even more pathetic taking action rather than sitting back and ignoring them.

_Or just slam their face into a locker until all their fucking little teeth break off._

At any rate, he wasn't going to give his mysterious prankster any satisfaction – he would simply go about his day as usual and after the thrill of "sending Mariku a love letter" faded, the two would silently forget it ever happened.

What an annoyance, really.

_Stupid fucking shits and their fucking pranks, to hell with all of them – _

"Here."

"Oh…" Mariku blinked as he took back his notebook. "Hey, Jounouchi..."

"Hm?"

"Have you heard from Malik at all lately?"

"Uh, no… why? Is he asking about getting back together again?"

"No, just curious."

"You ok?"

"Yes."

…

He didn't know why he couldn't get the letter out of his head, but he supposed it just had something to do with not knowing who sent it. If he only knew that, then it probably would've been forgotten by now. Mariku didn't like surprises, or new changes, or not having control over a situation.

He supposed that was why he hadn't dropped out yet – school was familiar, it was something to do everyday, and that took his mind off… things. Besides, he was about to graduate in a few months, no reason to quit now. Might as well see it to the end.

The walk to and from school was long, but that only bothered him in the morning. He never had a reason to rush home, and the walk would help to clear his mind. The only benefit to not having a car anymore.

It was warm out with a slight breeze. The summer weather would be picking up around next week, so was the prediction. Mariku looked forward to it. He was not a fan of the cold. The breeze did feel good, though, the school could get so stuffy with its windows closed all the time.

When he finally reached his apartment complex, Mariku had to dig into his pockets for a bit to reach his keys, and then he entered his home.

"Hey, Mariku…" his father called out, stepping into the living room.

"What?"

They were the only ones who lived in the apartment.

"Don't use that tone with me." The man snapped. "I got a call from your school earlier today…"

_Oh, fuck…_

"Have you been doing things you're not supposed to?"

_I could burn down the entire building… then you'd get no more phone calls. Would ya like that, you bastard?_

"No, sir."

Mariku tried to walk passed him, but his father caught him by the arm and held him there. Though he didn't look like much, his father was quite strong. The teenager tried to wriggle free, but gave up quickly.

_Just stare at the ground, just stare at the ground… let him get it off his chest, it'll be easier that way._

He would repeat the words over and over again, as he always had.

"Don't talk to me like that, Mariku. You know better." He leaned in, and Mariku could smell the lingering alcohol in his breath. "We're family, got it? Families are supposed to stick together, right?"

"Yes sir."

He took his hand off Mariku's arm. "So what's going on?"

Mariku blinked. He honestly didn't know what his father was talking about. He'd been more or less behaved the passed few weeks, so what purpose did the school have for calling his home? Was it his failing grade, because he highly doubted his father would be this upset over that.

"I don't know."

"Don't. Sass. Me."

Mariku went quiet.

_Just let him get it out. It'll hurt less._

He wasn't the scared little boy he used to be, but there would always be a part of him that feared this, feared him. Besides, constantly making up excuses for bruises got old.

His father sighed. "Miss Kujaku called. She was concerned about your college application."

_Oh._

He remembered that conversation. Miss Kujaku was his guidance counselor. She was afraid his criminal record would keep him from getting into a good school, so she was helping him out. This was all a secret from his father, so why had she told him?

_Dammit… she of all people should realize what a stupid move that was!_

"Mariku." His father's voice was rising. "That school was located two states away."

"And now I'll have to find a new one."

"What did you say?" The man grabbed for his son's shirt, holding him up slightly by the collar. "You think you can just walk out on me, boy? You think you can walk out like your fucking mother did, huh?"

His thumb pressed against Mariku's chin made it difficult to speak, but he managed to choke out:

"The neighbors are gonna hear you yelling."

In one quick moment, his father let go and smacked him across the cheek. Mariku could feel the sting, but kept his footing. He shouldn't have said anything, but he had to have some form of retaliation. Fighting back had never worked out for him.

So fine, he'd play the part of the punching bag.

But to his surprise, his father simply sighed. There was a bit of silence, and then he continued.

"Mariku, my laundry should be finished."

"Oh come on, we're not playing this old game again, are we?"

"Go downstairs an get it."

The teenager rolled his eyes. This punishment had been way more threatening as a kid, now it was just boring. Well, there went any time he had planned to use for homework.

Without another word, he turned around and headed for the apartment's basement. He walked down the stairs and shoved his hands into his pockets. Then he began to count backwards in his head, until he heard the little click.

There was of course, no laundry down here. But that was still the excuse his father liked to use to get him down here. Mariku opened his eyes and viewed his surroundings – the mice that lived in the corner were cleared up, but there were a few new cobwebs. The air had a damp smell to it – someone probably actually did do their laundry recently.

Sending Mariku to the hospital was getting riskier and riskier, as was sending him to school all bloodied up. If he stayed home too long, then that just meant people calling the house or worse, coming over. So his father came up with a simpler solution.

Years ago, his father managed to jack a key from the main office. Whenever he didn't want to deal with Mariku, he would just lock him down in the basement all night.

…

He sat back against the stairs. Someone would come along eventually – it was Wednesday, which was always a busy laundry day.

Wrapping his arms around his knees, he began to tap his feet lightly. He could make a racket if he wanted to, make a scene, get out of here quickly. Have the police show up, arrest his dad or something. But Mariku didn't feel like going into foster care or juvie again. Just sit back and breathe.

Sit back, breathe, and relax. That was his cure-all for everything. It cleared his mind, helped him to think.

_His hands, wrapping around his father's neck. The old man running short on breath, too drunk to fight back, his eyes starting to pop from his skull as his skin turned purple…_

"_Why don't you just fight back?" Bakura had asked._

"_I did… once."_

Thinking of his conversation with Bakura put him off. Now he couldn't enjoy the memory… he just thought back to the consequences afterwards.

The basement always reminded him of that place, and it irritated him greatly. Now he couldn't even concentrate on getting his mind off it.

The teenager brought his foot up and slammed it into the step.

…

"Thanks for coming in, Mariku." Ms. Kujaku said as he entered her office the next day. "I know I'm not you're favorite person in the world."

"Yeah, yeah…" he took a seat. Actually, Mariku didn't really mind her. She was ok, as far as people go, but she only ever called him in like this if it was bad news. And he was still pretty salty about the fact that she had told his father about the college.

She fiddled with her fingers for a bit. The woman always got slightly uncomfortable around him, which he was honestly used to, but it still pissed him off. He had better things to do than to wait on her, so just get to the point.

"How's your home life?" She asked.

He rolled his eyes. "Same."

"Alright…" she turned to her computer and typed in his student ID. "Well your math grade went up, that's good, but you're still failing Chemistry…"

Mariku despised chemistry. He could manage to get through any of his other classes with apathy, but that one was just an overall waste of time. But… he had to pass his classes. He was a rule breaker, but he had respect for the overall system.

School was useless, but it got you a job, and he didn't want to spend the rest of his life in gas stations or jail. His father helped form that mentality, though unintentionally. But it stuck. Crime lords were stupid – people in the underworld could only hold so much power.

And people who set up schools were only trying to pick out who from the bunch was worth their time. Mariku hated it all the same, but he'd be damned if he couldn't get ahead because of one class. He could pass, he was just going to do it with minimal effort.

"I understand you have a big test coming up in that class."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Passing that could really boost your grade up."

_I know…_

"You graduate in a few months, so just try and last a little longer, ok?"

_I know, I know… tell me one more time, see what fucking happens you little snitch…_

"Yeah."

She nodded, and excused him.

"Oh, and Mariku…" he paused. "In case you were wondering… about the call to your father…"

He turned around to face her again.

"You know, once you graduate, you won't be my responsibility anymore… I – I won't be able to look after you, I mean… I'm not a legal guardian. I understand your feelings towards your father, but… if you were to move two states away and no one knew, I just…"

"It's alright." He interrupted, surprising her. "I'll write."

And with that, he left.

Afterwards, he went to the bathroom and checked himself over again. He had done that this morning as well, but he had learned that it was just best to be consistent. The bruise on his cheek wasn't as dark as it had been last night. Well that was good at any rate. He washed his face a little before leaving.

Mariku headed to his locker for his book, and that was when he found the second letter.

"_I think it's silly Miss Kujaku feels she can't look after you. It's not like she'll stop caring after you graduate, right? I mean, she just wants someone to know where you're going! Well, you can tell me, and then I'd know! Also, good luck on your chemistry test! I know, I had that teacher last semester, she can be a real pain!"_

"Are you fucking kidding me…" he muttered. This was a pretty elaborate prank, he'd give them that much.

But that confirmed what he had already suspected. No girl would be "daring" – for lack of a better term – enough to keep messing with him. Someone was watching him, deliberately trying to get under his skin. It had to be Malik, or Rex and Weevil. He was still betting on Malik, even if it had been months since they last spoke.

So what to do about it? Ignoring apparently didn't work, but just how exactly was he supposed to go up all "Hey, are you sending me anonymous love letters in pink pen?" For all he knew, that was exactly what Malik wanted him to do.

Mariku gritted his teeth, crumbling the paper in his hand and tossing it into the nearest trashcan.

_I'm gonna kill him, I swear I'm gonna kill him… _

Later on in his chemistry class, Mariku studied his peers around him. Malik didn't have this class, but the sender indicated that they took it in the past. So whoever this person was, they weren't in this period. That narrowed it down a bit. Malik was still suspect number one, but Rex and Weevil shared this class, so they were out. Kaiba was also present, and Mariku duly noted that Bakura wasn't.

Could it be that Bakura and Malik had teamed up to get back at him? He sighed. It sounded even stupider now that he thought it out to himself. It was just so… bizarre. Didn't they realize he was going to see right through it? Did they want to freak him out? Mariku didn't scare easily, and this was more an annoyance than anything. He could keep his cool for now, but if it persisted, he just might snap.

And he did find a third letter that afternoon.

"_Oh my gosh, I totally sounded like a stalker, didn't I? Ms Kujaku's my guidance counselor too and I just overheard her, I swear I'm not a stalker though! I don't know, I just figured you'd be worried and I wanted to talk to you because it's not good to keep things bottled up, and I couldn't think of anything better to write! I just wanted to show that I really do like you and I'm not just playing a prank, I mean, that would be so rude!"_

He stared at it. He read it over and over again until the words didn't make sense anymore.

That was the final straw – he didn't care if he was walking right into a trap, Mariku wanted answers.

Malik was by his locker, talking to Anzu, when Mariku grabbed him by the shoulders and shoved him aside.

"Hey, wha-"

"What the hell is this?"

He held up the letter. Malik glanced at it, and then back at him, and then finally took it into his hands.

"Boy, you got a weird little admirer, that's for sure…"

"Don't fuck with me, is this your idea or what?"

"Huh? No!" Malik looked genuinely upset. "Mariku, we're over ok? We've moved on, it's fine!"

He looked him over, studying his facial expressions. Malik seemed to be telling the truth. Without a word, Mariku snatched the letter back.

"Any idea who_ is_ behind this, then?"

"Bakura, maybe?"

"Eh…"

"Or, ya know… maybe it's legit."

Mariku glared over at him. "What makes you say that?"

Malik shrugged. "Anything's possible?"

He chuckled slightly, but Mariku wasn't amused. "What's the big deal? The year's halfway over – you can handle something like this."

"Yeah…"

"Hey, Anzu!" Malik called over. She blinked at the sound of her name, and hesitantly walked over. Once she was there, she stayed close to Malik.

Mariku wasn't surprised – that's how most girls reacted to him. That's why this whole affair was confusing.

"Do you have any idea who wrote this?" Malik took the letter from Mariku and handed it over.

Anzu scanned it quietly. "Kinda looks like Dee's handwriting…"

"Oh yeah…" Malik agreed. "Sounds like her too, doesn't it?"

"You're wrong."

Malik and Anzu both looked up.

"Hey, I'm pretty good friends with her, alright?" She defended. "I would know if – "

"No." Mariku took the letter back. "She wouldn't do it."

He sauntered off before they were able to say anything else.

…

Dee was this blonde little cheerleader who won homecoming queen last year or something. She was a pretty nice girl, did a lot of volunteer work, her father was rich so she drove a new car around. She and Mariku probably spoke in passing, at some point during their four years in the same school together. There wasn't anything special about her, but also nothing that made him hate her. She was just part of the background.

She wasn't the type to pull a prank – especially not with someone as "dangerous" as Mariku – it didn't seem in her nature.

But it had to be.

The alternative was that she's serious. And that simply couldn't be the case. Someone like her couldn't be interested in someone like Mariku.

He didn't want to directly confront her, though. It was basically confirmed that she was the sender, but there was still a slight chance it wasn't her, and then he would just look stupid. He thought back on when he went to see Miss Kujaku, trying to remember if he had seen her there or not. He drew a blank, though.

Anzu and Malik were quiet people, they would keep it to themselves. Malik especially wouldn't go around spreading rumors concerning Mariku and love letters.

But who knew what a blabbermouth like Dee would do…

There was only one solution.

Mariku pulled out his notebook and wrote a reply.

…

He left his letter poking out of his locker, where she was sure to see it. However, when he showed up the next morning, it was still there. Maybe he had come too early. He avoided his locker all day, asked around for pencils throughout classes, and even waited in the lounge for a half hour after school let out. He had considered going straight to his locker and peer around for her, but decided against it. What if she saw him – then everything would be ruined.

_Ruined?_

What exactly was he getting himself into?

Mariku sighed. This was just ridiculous… but hopefully it would be over soon, if she did what he had instructed in his reply.

"_Leave me alone. I'm not worth it." _

…

When it got to be around four, he decided it was safe to go check. Sure enough, his letter was gone. He opened the locker and in the middle laid a new sheet of paper.

"_I'm really sorry I bothered you. I mean, I really, really am. It's funny, I figured maybe you wouldn't like me, I got so scared that I decided to write you letters instead. I guess I was just being naïve. I just like you so much, I wanted a way to tell you, but it was stupid. I'm sorry, again, I'll leave you alone."_

Mariku blinked.

Ok, so she was going to leave him alone, good. But did she have to be so dramatic about it? He would've felt sorry if she wasn't being so dumb. Really though, did she expect this to go down any differently? She was way further up the food chain than he was, not that he thought any less of himself because of it, but still… what was she _thinking?_

And how in the hell could she develop a crush on him? Was it some sort of "good girls like bad boys" crap that movies pressed on these days? They barely spoke, how much did she even know about him?

Then again, crushes don't really work that way. They were pure emotion, not much logic. Maybe it was a passing glance, or that one time he had been in the newspaper, but one way or another, she knew of him. And that was enough to set off a crush. That must have been why she sent him the letters, it was an attempt to get to know him.

A stupid one, but how exactly was a cheerleader supposed to go up to a juvenile delinquent and confess a crush?

_Dee…_

He thought about Dee. He didn't go to many of the school sporting events, except when Jou or Malik had forced him, but he had seen her in cheer before. She was a cute girl. She never caused him any grief. Come to think of it, he almost remembered a time where she helped him with a math problem… or maybe he made that up.

But she was cute. And sweet. A little too perky, though. She didn't need to be messing with him. He had nothing to offer her. He lived in the ghetto, she was this rich chick from the suburbs.

Mariku smacked his head against the lockers. What was this, some fucked up version of Romeo and Juliet? He didn't care what other people thought or about classism… he just knew systems were systems. He knew his life style, and hers – if she got involved, it would lead to nothing but trouble. Denying that was foolish.

That wasn't the issue, though. If he wanted to get involved, he would. No, really… he just didn't feel the same way. Dee was a good girl, a cute girl – but he didn't like her back. He wasn't about to go after a girl he had no interest in.

But still… she fascinated him a little. In hindsight, her letters were… kind of creepy. The fact that she had overheard his counselor… that wasn't an easy mistake to make, the door had been closed, those meetings were confidential. Or the way she had to openly defend herself by saying she wasn't a stalker. Was she watching him right now…?

Mariku glanced over the hallways, but remained fairly certain that they were empty.

So a cheerleader was semi-stalking a delinquent… that was a twist on the fairytale. Sort of.

He sighed again.

Putting the letter in his pocket, he pulled out his notebook.

"_It wouldn't work out, and you should find a good boy to go be with. You're nice and all, but we're better off separate."_

He closed his locker and stuck the note in between the wedges. He was unsure if she'd come pick it up, but he didn't know where her locker was, and if she really watched him then there was a chance. Oh well… it cleared his conscious somewhat.

…

And the next day he found another letter.

"_So, two things! One, I know you're just trying to be a big sweetie and tell me nicely to step off, but it feels like you're saying I'm not good enough for you, which I totally am! I'm not so stupid that I would blindly send letters to the toughest guy in school, I know what I'm getting into, thank you very much!_

"_Second, I just realized you shouldn't technically even know who I am – unless someone told you! But that would mean that you showed my letter to someone, which means you were trying to figure out who it was! That means you were thinking about me! So you _are_ interested!_

"_Look, if you don't like me that's fine, I'm not gonna force you! But don't treat me like I'm some little girl who can't handle herself, I mean, I really thought out of all the people in this school, you would be the last person to treat me like that!"_

"… 'Big sweetie'?" How did one even think to use those words to describe Mariku? He really couldn't help but snicker at that, and hoped no one noticed as he stuffed the letter into his pocket and headed to class.

…

He decided not to write a reply. Apparently responding by saying he wasn't interested meant he _was_ interested (girls…) so maybe ignoring her would give her the hint. Although he did feel kind of bad about it. In her own quirky way, she was just trying to be friendly, and here he was, telling her to leave him alone.

"So, umm… you get that stuff figured out between you and Malik?"

Mariku turned to face Jounouchi. "Hm? Oh, yeah, that… yeah, it's all good." His face lit up as an idea came to him. "Hey Jou, what do you think of Dee?"

"Dee?" Jounouchi put a finger to his chin, thinking. "She's really cute… kinda weird, but friendly enough. Why?"

"Well, would you ever think about going out with her?" Subtlety was not Mariku's forte.

"Wha…?"

"No talking during study time, boys!" The teacher called out.

Jounouchi apologized and the two lowered their voices.

"Where's this coming from, Mariku?"

"Nothing, I just thought, ya know – she's a good girl, you're a good guy, you two would go good together."

"What are you, some kinda match-maker?"

"Well would you?"

"Would what?"

"Ask her out, you dumbass!"

"_Shh!"_

Mariku pouted slightly when the teacher hushed them again. He flipped her off under his desk.

"Forget it, Mariku. I mean, she's a really cute girl, but I dunno… besides, I've kinda been looking elsewhere, ya know?"

"Eh… yeah, whatever…"

He didn't care. Jou was being useless at the moment, that's all he got out of the conversation. And Dee was still his problem. Maybe he could con someone else, but he'd have to be careful. If he asked too many guys, she'd catch on, and then what would he do…

_Rip her tongue out and shove it down her throat. Break her, break her, stuff her in a body bag and throw her in a dumpster… that'll shut her up._

He breathed, and counted in his head. That always helped to calm him down. When things didn't go his way, his mind always had a slight panic attack and violent thoughts were the result. They didn't always stay as just thoughts, however, and he could repress them for the most part. But that was why he didn't like change.

And these letters were getting to be a bigger change than he needed them to be.

For now, his plan was to keep on ignoring her. Maybe she'd go away on her own.

…

That was asking for too much.

He opened his locker the next morning and pulled out the new letter.

"_So I was thinking, I totally sounded like a drag in my last letter! I'm so sorry, I promised to leave you alone, and then I go and write that! And now I'm writing this! Ok, ok, but anyway, I just wanted to say sorry, again! I dunno, it was just cool to finally be able to talk to you, I guess I got caught up in the moment, but ok, for real this, I'll leave you alone!"_

Mariku didn't know how he felt at this point.

So that was it? Just one day goes by and she changed her mind? Well, that certainly made things a lot easier. Although maybe a little too convenient. She was proving more and more just how fickle her moods could be – for all he knew, there would be a letter by lunch time telling him she had decided to keep writing again.

Not sure what else to do, Mariku put the letter back and headed for class.

He didn't pay attention to the lesson, but that was nothing new. Mariku couldn't get his mind off the letters, and that bothered him. He found out who the sender was, she agreed to stop – it was all over. Supposedly. But it was strange… nothing like this had ever happened to him before.

And he couldn't deny that there was a part of him that was curious about Dee's crush. Maybe it was an ego thing, but it was there, and he couldn't get it off his brain. What would her letter say, would he write back, what would he do, what would she do… it was fun, in a weird sense.

Mariku didn't have many friends. He knew Jounouchi back when they were both punks in middle school. Jou went clean, but they still stayed buds for the most part. There was that thing with Malik for a bit, and he was on-off friends with Bakura, when he wasn't being a little bitch. But no one had ever really "presented" themselves like this too him. No one had ever basically demanded that he like them and pay attention to them. Let alone a cute cheerleader.

Just how far could he exploit something like that? She wanted to get to know him, right? She was asking for trouble. He could give her trouble. Well… that could be interesting… he'd show her exactly who he was.

Later on he wrote his reply: _"Please don't stop."_

…

"_You are one confusing boy! But that's ok, you're just really shy and don't really let your emotions show! I know cause we've had classes together, I don't know if you remember, but I do! It's fine, people say I'm confusing too, but I always try to show my emotions! Silly, right? _

"_Anyway, ok, so we can keep writing letters, then? Yay! Ok, I promise I won't get creepy though! I just have a really good memory, but a lot of people tell me it's creepy! I mean, is it creepy that I remembered we had class together? But oh well, so um, maybe tell me a bit about yourself? Like I know I just said I wasn't gonna get creepy, but eep, you're talking to me, so exciting! But yeah, can I ask a few questions, maybe? You don't have to answer them though!_

"_But ok, what's your favorite food? What's your favorite movie? What's your favorite color? Wow, this is long, sorry! Can't wait to hear from you!"_

He closed his eyes for a minute.

It might have just been pride, but he really couldn't stand the way she called him things like "sweet" or "shy." Shyness was caused when someone was afraid to express their emotions – Mariku didn't have that. He didn't express them because he never had a reason to.

And then he took out his notebook.

"_I think you have some misconceptions about me…"_ he wrote. His handwriting was considerably smaller than hers, and also not as fancy. _"I'm not sweet and I'm not shy. I thought you did your homework on me. We've barely talked, you don't know much about me. And my favorite food's Koshary, I don't have an answer for the other two."_

…

"_You think just because I'm a cheerleader, I'm stupid? Why do you think I'm writing letters instead of going up to you face to face? I'm keeping my distance, I know my limits. But I still like you! I'm not asking for much, I just want… I don't know, I just want a chance to get to know the boy I've been crushing on for the last few years, ok? I can be very stubborn, so stop trying to scare me away!"_

Ignoring her didn't work, politely turning her down didn't work, and being blunt didn't work. Mariku was truly regretting his change of action. He still didn't want a face-to-face confrontation. This wasn't something that should _need_ a face-to-face confrontation, and that's what made him mad.

Besides, didn't he just tell her not to stop? If he tried to tell her to back off now, she'd just return anyway.

Damn. What a nuisance. This cheerleader was proving to be a bigger problem than half the thugs he's ever dealt with.

But this was mostly his fault for being too much of a wimp to end it and letting his curiosity get the better of him. And so, he wrote his reply.

"_You are the weirdest girl I've ever met."_

…

"_I choose to take that as a compliment!" _

That was all she had written back. He couldn't think of a reply, so he went a week without getting any new letters. In a way, he was relieved. Maybe he should just let this run its course, and she'd get bored eventually. It was a long shot, but it could work.

He shut the locker and headed home.

…

The summer weather finally let in, and it felt so good. Mariku wore a sleeveless shirt that day, enjoying the sun heating up his shoulders. He closed his eyes and just took in the serenity of it all.

A lot had been happening the passed few days, so it was nice to get some quiet time for a change. Maybe he'd actually be able to focus on things like college applications or that essay he hadn't finished from last Wednesday.

_Pat pat pat…_

His eyes shot open when he heard the footsteps.

"Hey!"

_Oh no…_

"Hey!"

_You gotta be kidding…_

"Excuse me!"

Mariku didn't know if he should slow down or run, so he just kept at the same pace until she caught up.

Dee rushed up to him, lightly tapping his shoulder.

"I guess you didn't hear me – which is odd, cuz most people say I'm too loud! Anyway, I promise I wasn't following you, cheer practice got cancelled cuz Miho had a nasty fall, and that's really terrible and all, but then on the way out, I spotted you, and well – I couldn't help myself, so I ran after you, and now here we are!"

He tried staying silent, but she tapped him again.

"Yes, here we are…"

"So I noticed you never replied to my last letter, but that's ok, I didn't really have much to say either, but then I spotted you and decided 'Hey maybe now it would be ok to go up and talk to him!' By the way, Anzu told me – about how you showed her the letter. It's fine, I'm just mentioning cuz I asked my friends if they thought approaching you was a good idea. And everyone said no – except Vivian – but I decided to go for it anyway, ya know?"

"I can see that…"

"So where are we going?"

"I'm going home."

"Can I come along?"

"If you want…"

Bad plan bad plan bad plan. He had to get rid of her somehow. Mariku didn't like people over at his house, over where his father was. A teenage girl would be a load of trouble.

But then… maybe that's what he needed. Maybe once she saw what he dealt with, she'd take a hint and leave him alone. That had been his plan, right?

_Let her get beat up by dad… then I'll beat up dad… then her too… get them both to back off, get everyone to back off…_

"I live downtown, you know that, right?"

"Oh, it's ok, I used to run a few miles every morning!"

"That's not what I meant…"

"If you're talking about your home life, don't worry, I can handle myself!"

Mariku stopped dead in his tracks. She kept going a bit until she realized he was falling behind, and turned around.

"What?"

He was a bit loss for words. He knew exactly what he wanted to say, and yet didn't know how to say it in a way she'd understand… if she _could _understand. And so he used snark.

"You've dealt with an abusive father before?"

"Abusive mother, actually!" She said it so matter-of-factly, it made Mariku blink. "But don't worry, she's out of the picture now! My daddy won custody easily, and he takes very good care of me!"

They stood there for a moment, him staring, her smiling. How had she just confessed something like that in such an easy manner? Was she lying?

No… no one could be _that_ stupid. Who the hell makes up an abusive parent just to go to an abusive house? Especially right on the spot like that…

Had that been the origin of her crush, then? Mariku's home life wasn't a secret, even if he did avoid talking about it.

"So are we heading off?"

"I guess…"

He walked by her side the whole trip back.

…

"Now this is a serious question…"

"Ok!" She seemed way too excited for what was about to happen. Or what she thought might happen; maybe he was about to horribly disappoint her.

"Just… how badly do you want to meet my father?"

"On a scale of one to ten?"

"Sure."

"Hmm…" she pursed her lips. "Maybe a two?"

"Ok, good…" He put his hand around the knob. "Then just be real quiet, he's usually asleep, so there's shouldn't be too much a problem…"

She nodded enthusiastically.

Mariku opened the door and they stepped in. The apartment was a mess, with cigarette butts and bills and God knows what else on the floor. He turned back to see her reaction, but it was pretty neutral. She probably expected as much, however.

Dee grabbed onto his arm, making him jump slightly. She giggled, but pressed her hand to her mouth to keep quiet. Mariku calmed, though remained annoyed, as he lead her across the hall into his room.

The walls were bare. There were no posters, no pictures – the color was a tint darker than white. His bed sheets were a pale blue, and completely rumpled up. The only things left were his dresser and desk, which had a shabby looking laptop sitting on it. That was all. Clothes were laced along the floor, but they were the same – black T-shirts and jeans.

"I can't believe I'm actually in your room!" She exclaimed after he closed the door. "Oh, it looks exactly how I thought it would!"

"You've fantasized about my bedroom…" he murmured, not quite loud enough for her to hear, though. The thought creeped him out just a bit too much.

"It's, ya know… blank."

He stared at her.

"You're like, an open book, Mariku!" She took a seat on his bed, far to the side so he could join her, but he remained standing. "It's like, you don't know what to do with your emotions!"

Did this girl just analyze him? Did she really go out of her way to come up with theories about him?

"Well… interior decorating doesn't exactly make me feel alive…"

"Precisely!" Dee was practically bouncing on the bed, and it was making him very nervous. "You've got all this hidden potential, you just don't know what to do with it!"

He blinked. _Potential? Him?_

Mariku never really thought of it… he just wanted to get through school and get a well-paying job far, far away from this place. He had a slight dream of owning a company and having power that way – that's how systems worked. But it was only a pass-time fantasy, it wasn't anything he had given serious thought to.

Because… he didn't have the "potential" for something like that…

"I get that way too," she continued. "I used to get really, really frustrated cuz I had all this energy, and nothing to unleash it on. It used to make me all upset, especially when my mom was around – she didn't like after-school specials, you see. So then when my daddy saved me, I joined the cheer-squad and suddenly everything got better… ya know? Like I finally got to let out all that energy and then I started thinking clearer, like what kind of future I wanted, and – "

"You really do need to keep it down…"

"Oh, sorry! But do you know what I mean?"

He nodded, not looking at her.

"So let's find out what interests you! So you said you don't have a favorite movie or anything, so who's your favorite band?"

"No one."

She went quiet for once.

"Really? You don't like anybody? From any genre?"

"I don't like music."

She was genuinely shocked. "I didn't think that was possible… so what do you do when you're like, driving around, or just bored or something?"

"Nothing."

She pointed towards his desk. "What do you do on you computer?"

"Homework and talk to Jou."

"You don't have any hobbies at all?"

Mariku sighed. He really didn't want to answer. What he did when he was bored… often times were illegal. But she should be aware of that, right? Everyone knew how he was.

Hell, _this_ was what he did when he was bored. Mess with a teenage girl's feelings. He hated most of society, but it sure was fun to fuck with people.

"When did you decide to start crushing on me?" He asked, attempting to change the subject.

"Huh?" She replied, slightly taken back. "Oh! When I found out you weren't gay!"

He didn't know why he was surprised… he had gotten that a lot back when he and Malik were dating. You were gay or straight, that's how the world saw it. Mariku just didn't care – people were people.

"So what did you think of me when you thought I was?"

"Please – I'm not being homophobic or anything! I still thought you were cool, it's just – why crush on a gay guy, ya know? I'd have no chance!"

He shrugged.

"I know why you don't talk so much, or anything…"

"Dee, you're not gonna fix me." That was where she was going with this whole conversation, and it needed to end. He felt like he was back in Miss Kujaku's office or something… he didn't like all this focus on him and his problems and how to change him and whatnot.

He didn't have much… couldn't people at least leave him his identity?

"You're only as broken as you think you are." She replied.

"That is not how it works. At all…"

Dee stood up, her happy demeanor gone. She slowly walked over to him, keeping her gaze down. He took a step back, but otherwise remained still.

"I know you…" she replied, almost a whisper. "You feel like you're life doesn't have purpose… it's like, you just go through the motions and do what you're told because there's nothing else to do."

Mariku tilted his head. "You make it sound so simple."

"_You're_ the one who complicates things!" She said, her voice raising a little. "Even right now, it's so hard for you to accept that someone has a crush on you! And I _know_ you like me back – I'm standing here in your room for crying out loud! If you really wanted me gone, you would've done something by now!"

She was so naive to believe his actions were the result of a crush. Had no one ever taken advantage of her? She was a cheerleader after all…

"A few years ago, I might have…"

"What was that?"

Mariku stepped around her, heading for his bed and taking a seat. "You know I went to juvie, right?"

Dee nodded, and hesitantly walked over and joined him on the bed.

"I was sitting there, in the cell, looking at my surroundings. And then I thought about how many times my father's been arrested. And it was all just so… boring." She leaned in a little closer to him.

This wasn't the first time he had told the story. In fact, he kind of liked bringing it up – thinking over his epiphany again, it almost made him feel like some sort of warrior, who had been through so much and had his eyes opened.

"It's like – is this all I have to look forward to? A lifetime of running and getting caught? Just to be let out and start it all over again? You can get positions of power without this, so why not go that route?"

"That makes sense…"

"Dee, I barely pass my classes, but I do it anyway. Not because it's the right thing to do, but because it's the better option in the long run. I don't have 'passion' in anything, I don't have morals – I just do it."

"I don't believe you."

He looked at her. She was being completely serious. He tried to counter her, but he was at a loss for words again. This was the result of putting a quiet person with a chatterbox.

"I think you want something in your life, you just don't know what it is, yet."

"And you think you have some… _magical cure_? That all I need is love and everything will be ok?" He scoffed.

"You're frustrated because you're empty and you don't know how to complete yourself."

He stopped chuckling.

_What was with this girl? _

Dee didn't say anything. She just smiled up at him. A warm, friendly smile – one he didn't get too often. She pressed her arm against his, and leaned into him, rubbing his shoulder with her head.

Mariku froze a little. Should he react, or just stay as is? It wasn't often he had someone so cute come this close to him, and he was still a teenage boy. He had already indulged her this much, what would it hurt, really, if…?

He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, making her giggle slightly. Taking this as a good sign, he grabbed her chin and got her to look at him. She was still smiling, so he leaned in. She pressed her lips to his, startling him a bit, but he went with it.

This was far from Mariku's first kiss. Yet expressing affection always felt so wrong and right to him. He'd never grow used to it, but there was a part of him that craved it.

Dee pressed into his chest, not nearly as shy as he was. He still had an arm around her, keeping the other by his side for balance. She wrapped both of hers over his neck, pulling him in, running her fingers through his hair. Her lips were gentle and soft, caressing his own.

This felt… nice.

_SLAM_

Mariku jolted back.

"Fuck!"

"What was that?" Dee asked, looking both scared and disappointed.

He paused, trying to apologize but not knowing what to say. "I… it's my father… I guess he was out."

"Oh, ok!"

Mariku crawled over to the other side of the bed, where the window was. He drummed his fingers against the sill.

"Ok… he doesn't usually come in here, so if we're quiet, I can sneak you out while he's asleep…"

"Mariku, I can't stay too late, my dad will get worried."

"Don't you have a cell phone?" He didn't mean to get angry, but she kind of deserved it, coming over here so impulsively. Then again, he hadn't exactly done a decent job in trying to stop her…

Dee didn't take kindly to his snapping. She frowned, crossed her arms, and stood up.

"What are you doing…" Mariku asked nervously as she headed for the door. "S-stop!"

She paid him no attention and made her way to the living room.

"Dee, wait!" He ran after her, but she was already there.

"Good evening, Sir. I'm Dee Magi, I'm friends with your son, Mariku."

He stood right in the middle of the hallway, watching as Dee shook his father's hand. The man was in just as much of a daze at the ordeal.

"Um, nice to meet you, Miss Magi."

_Oh good, at least he was behaving himself…_

He turned to face his son. "Mariku, come in here!"

The boy did as he was told – wanting to get this done and over with as quickly as possible so Dee could leave.

"Yes, Sir…" he shoved his hands into his pockets and didn't look up.

"How come you never introduced me to your cute little friend over here?"

"Cuz you're a fucking sadist…" he murmured.

"Mariku has this big chemistry test coming up." Dee piped in, drowning out his words. She walked over and put a hand on his chest. "I was helping him study."

He rolled his eyes, not glancing at her or his dad.

"Magi, Magi… I've heard that name before." His dad went on.

"My daddy's the head of Magi Inc… you know, that really big gaming company." She took her arm and wrapped it around Mariku's forearm as she explained this, pulling him closer to her.

His father was shocked. "_You're_ Mahad Magi's daughter?"

Dee nodded enthusiastically. "Yup! And one day, I'm going to run the company!" She hugged into Mariku. "You can be my assistant manager…"

He chuckled awkwardly, unsure if she was kidding or not. His father nodded, a look of approval on his face. But Mariku could see through it. His dad didn't do 'happy'.

"Well, Mariku, I'm impressed. You've finally got something good going on in your life."

"Thank you, Sir." He replied in a less than grateful tone. Dee continued to hug him nevertheless.

"At least you finally stopped being such a fagg-"

"It's getting pretty late, though." She interrupted. "My daddy will get worried…"

"Right then, dear…" he turned to his son. "Mariku, drive her back home."

"You took away my keys, Sir."

"Oh! Actually, I left my car in the school parking lot, if you could – "

"You two _walked_ all the way here?"

"Yes, Sir."

"Dammit, Mariku, are you good for nothing…"

"No, it's fine! But if we walk, I could drive him back before dark!"

His father sighed. "You don't have to do all that, dear."

"Oh but I insist! It'll be my way of thanking you for the hospitality!"

Finally, Mariku turned to look at her. She glimpsed back up and smiled. Oh, she was good…

His father pointed. "I like this one, Mariku, hold onto her."

"I think she's got a better hold on me."

Dee giggled, and then pulled him out the door. "It was lovely meeting you, Sir!"

"Come back anytime!" He said, waving slightly.

Mariku closed the door and the two were off. She kept her grip on him, however he didn't try and fight her.

"I'm really sorry for all the trouble I caused…" she replied softly.

"Trouble? That's the first time I've seen him smile in ages." He sighed. "He's not normally like that. He's just behaving cuz you have money."

"Oh, I know! My mom got that way too. So polite to strangers, and then, BOOM! Completely different person behind closed doors!" She gave him a very serious look. "If you don't feel safe at home, you can come to my place, ok?"

"I'll be alright… I'll graduate soon and be out of there forever."

"I mean it though, Mariku." She squeezed him tighter. "I want you to be safe."

He couldn't help but smile to himself.

"You're not the first person to try and get me to go somewhere, Dee."

"Well, maybe I'll be the first person to make you follow through on it!"

And that was when he put his arm around her shoulders.

…

"So where exactly does one buy a pink car?" He asked when they had arrived at the school.

Dee giggled. "At a dealership, same as every other car!"

"Does it come with a free poodle?"

She smacked his shoulder playfully.

The giggling continued for a moment before she cleared her throat. "But you really should study for that chemistry test…"

He groaned. "It's not til the end of the week…"

"Mariku, I mean it." Dee said. "It's important."

He nodded unenthusiastically. And then she put her hands on his face, rubbing his cheeks with her thumbs. It was amazing how she could just switch back and forth between perky to serious.

She pressed their foreheads together and closed her eyes.

"I've just been waiting for so long…" she whispered.

Mariku remained completely still, letting Dee have her way with him. When she leaned up and kissed him again, he didn't resist. He just let it happen. That was how he dealt with things. Besides, there was nothing to be afraid of. Slowly, she backed away and entered her car.

"Well?" She asked after a minute of silence.

"Well what?"

"I said I'd give you a ride home."

"Oh…" he shifted again. "Don't worry about it. Really. It's not that late, I'll be fine."

She stared at him, seeming concerned. But she shrugged, and then smiled.

"I had a really nice night…"

"Yeah…" he shuffled his feet, thinking he should probably say something else so things wouldn't get any more awkward. "Same."

She revved up the engine. "I'll see you at school, ok?"

"Kay."

And with that, she was off.

…

Mariku walked down the alleyway, back to his apartment. His emotions were a strange mixture of confusion and contentment. He hadn't made out with anyone since he split with Malik. Speaking of Malik – had he ever offered to let Mariku stay over when his dad got violent?

Maybe once or twice, but that was more because sleepovers were a thing, not because he wanted to help. Malik had always been afraid of Mariku's dad. He also lived with his sister and adopted brother – a broken enough family… why invite in more?

Was that why they hadn't worked out? No, they had broken up because of Mariku. Oh well, it was ancient history now. Malik moved on, and Mariku… had Dee.

_Dee_

_Her warm, soft body pressed up against his as they kissed. Her lips so gentle, her bangs tickling him. Her breasts poking out of her shirt slightly._

_Her hands rubbing against his cheeks, how he had let her do it. She owned him, owned him…_

Just what were his feelings for her now? In the end, he was unable to go through with his plan to take advantage of her. Hell, if anything, she practically threw it right back at him – the way she had read him like a book.

He still had his strange fascination with her, and he supposed at this point, he felt a certain sense of gratitude. She got his father to behave, and she willingly offered him safety. The simple fact that she had reached out to him… it made him… feel…

Mariku was quite confused.

He kicked at a random pebble and sent it off into the distance. He heard it skip, skip, skip – stop. Then he looked up.

"Long time, no see, Mariku."

"What do you want, Bakura?"

He slapped him across the head. "Don't be so distant, Mariku. I just happened to be in the neighborhood and saw you walking by is all."

"You don't live here. Why were you seeking me out?"

Bakura chuckled a bit. "Call me crazy, but I could've sworn I saw you walking with Dee Magi earlier today…"

"Stay away from her."

"Don't say you're going straight on me, now."

"I'm not gay."

"No, I mean – the other version of straight, ya know – _clean_." Mariku cocked his head. "Dee Magi? Really? Cheerleader? Heiress to a big-ass company? I mean, if you're after that, I can understand… but to have to put up with her _all day_."

"I haven't given it that much thought, really. We just started seeing each other." He didn't know what he meant by that. Did he just tell Bakura that he and Dee were dating? But how else could he describe this bizarre relationship he had with her?

"Probably smart. I gotta admit, I'm impressed. If there were a way to go clean, it might as well be with the richest bitch in school. So how exactly did you get that to happen?"

"She likes me."

"What?!" Bakura stopped in his tracks, forcing Mariku to do the same. He wore a highly amused expression on his face. "You're kidding!"

Mariku shook his head. "There's more to her than she lets on."

He didn't understand why he was getting so defensive over her.

Bakura continued to smirk. "And you're gonna try and tell me this is completely one-sided?"

He rolled his eyes. Honestly, he didn't have a response. He didn't know how he felt about Dee. She was there, and she was tricky to get rid of. But he felt indebted to her, because… because…

Bakura pressed a finger into Mariku's chest.

"Just answer me one thing…" he said. "Are you gonna up and be her puppet?"

"Puppet?"

Bakura just smirked. "People like her don't care about people like us. You should know that by now."

"I thought it was a prank too, at first, but this is going pretty far, don't you think?"

"You're so naive…" the two started walking again. "It's all about image with these people – she wants to own that big company her father runs, right? Imagine how good she'd look if she 'reformed' someone like you. Or maybe she just wants an inside look on a whole new targeted audience."

"You sure know a lot for someone who supposedly doesn't care about Dee."

_Not that I'm one to talk…_

"Oh, don't give me that crap, Mariku. _You're _the one who's obsessed with this 'system' shit. Unless, you're the one taking advantage of her – in which case, consider me impressed."

Mariku didn't answer him. A few weeks ago, Dee was just another kid he went to school with, a nobody to him. He had tried doing exactly what Bakura was implying, and it didn't go according to plan. And now he wasn't sure how to feel about the situation.

This was different, to say the least. She had feelings for him, and he couldn't convince himself that it meant nothing. He considered people to be a waste of time and space, but he included himself in that ratio – he too, was just another face in the crowd. So whenever someone looked at him and saw more than just another human sharing this world, it surprised him.

He had felt that way about Malik, in the beginning. It made him calm down for a little while, made him happy even.

And now to have someone so fundamentally different from him take a special interest… it almost changed the way he looked at things.

"Ahem?"

"What?"

"So that's what you're doing, right? Just answer the question, you're scaring me."

"I don't know."

"What do you mean you don't _know_? How could you not?"

"It's too early to tell."

Bakura paused, as if he was realizing something.

"Is she some kinda rebound, cuz there's other options…"

"No."

"You're annoying, you know that?"

"Then leave."

"Nah… you're too useful to drop completely."

Oh… so that's what this was all about. Bakura was one of the few people who understood where Mariku was coming from – everyone thought they were going to be criminals or something, but no. It was just more efficient to go after the hierarchies and take power from them directly. Why run from the police when you can control the police?

But that meant having the right connections, so someone sharing this mindset was valuable. And that's what Bakura was doing – ensuring that nobody took what he already claimed. He was protecting his property.

And that angered Mariku. It was the same mindset his father had on him – that they just owned him. Was Dee doing the same? Possibly, but those kisses told him otherwise. And she was a good girl. Malik and Jounouchi never saw him as property, so the idea wasn't completely foreign to him – but it angered him all the same.

He had gotten better at controlling his impulses, his violent thoughts, but there were still times when he couldn't hold back. Now was one of them.

So he punched Bakura in the face. He stumbled a bit, but managed not to fall over. Bakura knew this was beyond a talking matter – he fought back. Mariku was glad, it would have been boring if he simply walked away. If Bakura was good for anything, it was for a decent fight.

These were the only things that ever made Mariku feel truly alive. Pain and apathy were the two things he completely understood – that was what his childhood had been, that was what his life was like now.

Bakura had him pinned facedown into the ground, but it didn't take him long to reverse it, and the other coughed blood once his head pit the pavement.

Satisfaction.

That was what he felt. This was exactly why nobody messed with him, this was exactly why Dee needed to stay away from him. It wasn't out of some moral obligation that he felt this way, it was just simple facts – he would hurt her, and that couldn't lead to anything good.

Fighting got you in jail, following the rules got you power – it was just another simple fact. Mariku wanted that control. He wanted to lead the herd of sheep rather than be one. He was able to fuck up in middle school and still get by, but this was different. He was about to graduate high school and move onto college, he had to be careful with his actions at this point.

But that would never stop him from indulging in this time to time.

Bakura belted him in the stomach and he felt the wind get knocked out of him. Whether he enjoyed it or not, Mariku was out to win this fight. So he wrapped his hands around Bakura's neck.

…

Mariku's jaw finally stopped hurting around the end of school the next day. No one asked what happened, save for Jounouchi. He just made a comment about Bakura and it was never brought up again.

He had almost stayed home, admittedly, but he had mentioned to Dee that he'd see her at school. So he had to go, because he told Dee he would, and if he didn't she'd get worried, and he was indebted to Dee because Dee had reached out to him and…

Vaguely, he wondered if any rumors about them were circulating yet.

Speaking of which, Dee's car blocked his path as he went to cross the street.

"Hello!"

"Hi."

She stared at him expectantly, and he had a feeling he knew what she wanted. He stayed quiet anyway.

"I still owe you a ride!" She said finally.

"You don't have to."

"But I want to!"

"I'm really in no rush to get home."

Dee changed her tone to serious again. She pointed at her own eye, indicating his black one.

"Was that him…?"

"No. I got in a fight with Bakura on the way back."

She pursed her lips. "Hmm… Bakura… I caught him getting high, once. I never tattled, but he hasn't liked me since…" Her fingers drummed against her steering wheel. "Wow… I probably shouldn't have said that! Oh well, maybe you already knew… anyway! I'm not driving you home – I wanna take you to my place!"

"I… what?"

"Well, you had me over, so now I'm returning the favor!"

Mariku stood there. Maybe his confusion was finally clearing up – he didn't want to do this.

"I mean…" he began. "You just sorta invited yourself over yesterday…"

She blinked, and then her eyes widened. Oh crap, please say she wasn't going to cry… he wouldn't be able to handle that. But she perked up soon afterwards… not 'happy' per say, but she looked stable.

"If you really wanted to stop this, you already would have." She said, almost menacingly. "You must be at least somewhat curious to see where this all goes. So get in the car."

"Are you_ forcing_ me?" He sounded amused, but Mariku still felt a twinge of fear. Not of what Dee herself could do, but what she as an heiress of a very popular company could do.

"Just… highly suggesting."

He got in the car.

…

Her house could not be more opposite of his. Obviously, it wasn't an apartment, and it was enormous. Mariku remained expressionless as they exited the car and walked across the front lawn. He felt the need to open the door for her, but managed to hold back. That would've been silly – _he_ was the guest, after all.

He also half expected some butler to come and open it, but Dee pulled a key out of her purse.

"Daddy won't be back for a while yet, would you like anything to drink?" Her voice echoed slightly in the large hallways.

Mariku's eyes traveled, taking in every detail. "Umm… what do you have?"

"Do you like orange juice?"

"Sure."

"Ok, wait here, I'll be right back!"

He snickered. Yeah, good thing she said that, otherwise he would've wandered around like a three year old. What was it like to be so rich? He did walk into the family room, though; there were pictures he wanted to look at.

They sat neatly atop the fireplace. There was Dee, much younger. Most of the pictures were of her in the house – he assumed, anyway – and she didn't really smile. She also almost always had some sort of stuffed animal in her clutches. A man with long purple hair was next to her in a few of them.

Then he reached far enough down the collection to see Dee's teen portraits. The first one was similar to the others – a somber girl sitting alone on a couch. But the one right next to that had her in a cheer uniform, with a large grin on her face. There was the Dee he had known all these years.

"Hello?"

Mariku jumped slightly. He spun around to see the purple-haired man from the photos.

"Can I help you?" The man demanded.

"I, um…"

"Can I ask why you're in my house, looking at pictures of my daughter?"

"She… invited me…"

"Did she?" He raised an eyebrow. "Who are you?"

"Daddy!" Dee walked in with two orange juice filled glasses in her grip. She handed one over. "This is my friend, Mariku! The one I was telling you about, remember?"

A sense of realization washed over the man, and he seemed somewhat embarrassed.

"Oh, right! Forgive me, young man, I'm so sorry." He held out his hand, which Mariku hesitantly shook.

The owner of a big company was apologizing to him for rudeness? This was surreal…

"It's fine…" he gulped down the juice, anything to excuse him from talking.

"Mariku's gonna graduate with me." Dee explained. "He's wants to internship at our company afterwards."

He about choked.

_What did she say?_

"Is that so?" Mr. Magi replied. "He'll need a few years of college as a business major, first."

"That won't be a problem!" She beamed. "Right, Mariku?"

He looked at her, then at her father, then back to her, and nodded, unsure of what else to do. She smiled up at him.

Just… what was happening? She brought him here to meet her father? And claim he wanted to work for them?

Then it dawned on him – was this her plan from the beginning? Of course, she'd need a motive, and he couldn't think of one off the top of his head… but there _had_ to be. The sudden love letters, dropping by his house, manipulating him into coming over… was all part of some strange plan to get him to work for her father? Had Bakura been right?

It sounded crazy, but this ordeal was already strange. He would believe anything at this point.

Dee wrapped her arm around his like she had done the other day.

"Daddy – would it be alright if Mariku stayed for dinner?"

"Sure, dear." Mr. Magi gave him a slight glare, still not fully trusting him. Mariku returned it.

Dee didn't notice as she cuddled into his shoulder. "Do you wanna call your dad and let him know?"

"What? Oh… he wouldn't care…"

"Ok. Phone's in the kitchen, if you change your mind." She took a sip, and the room was filled with awkward silence for a moment. "I actually have some homework to do, are you any good with geometry?"

"No."

"Well, I have cable in my room, you can watch TV! Bye, daddy!"

Her father watched carefully as the two left and headed up the stairs.

Mariku wanted to go home. No – home was hell. Home was where his sorry excuse for a father lived. But he couldn't stay here – not with this manipulative little tramp. Malik was out, and he didn't know where Jounouchi lived anymore – he had nowhere to go.

Run.

That's all he wanted to do was run. Just run.

Fuck systems and prison and companies and all of humanity – Mariku wanted nothing more to do with it.

_Kill her, kill him, kill everyone… end it all… _

He stopped walking up the stairs. Still gripping onto him, Dee nearly fell backwards. Catching her balance, she looked down at him.

"Honey, are you ok?" He smacked her away, forcing both their glasses to fall and smashing on the stairs.

Dee stood there, hands over her mouth. Mariku just continued to glare.

And then Dee became quite angry. Her hands balled into fists, and her eyes narrowed. She huffed, and grabbed onto Mariku's wrist, pulling him.

She was pretty strong for someone her size – but then again, she was a cheerleader. Mariku's strength was still a little drained from his fight, so she was able to get him to her room with little trouble.

She slammed the door behind her.

"What is your problem?" She demanded.

"What exactly are you playing at?" He said, pointing at her accusingly. "Just tell me – is this whole thing some twisted plan to get me to work for your company?"

"What?" Her eyes went wide, and a little hurt showed through. "No! Of course not! This is a crazy scheme to get you to do something with your life!"

Mariku went quiet.

"Is this your idea of a charity? Are you trying to 'mold me' into your 'perfect man' or something?"

"No, Mariku! Geez, is it really so hard for you to accept that someone likes you for _you_?"

"I've been in a relationship before!" He tried hard not to let his voice rise too high, for fear that her father might come up. "You're the one who has no freakin' _clue_ how to express herself!"

Tears were starting to form in her eyes.

"Well, you're right…" she replied. "I moved around a lot as a kid because of my parents, I don't have many friends, and I'm honestly not that good with people. I thought… I thought _you_ would understand that!"

"Oh, don't try and guilt trip me!"

"I'm not! You said I was bad at expressing myself, now I'm expressing myself!"

He groaned. At this rate, they would be at it all day.

And so he smacked her. Just clean cut, slapped his hand across her face. It gave off a loud, satisfying _crack_.

His breathing picked up as his hands clenched into fists. It was as if all his frustrations from the past few weeks had finally been unleashed through that one slap. He felt so liberated.

Her eyes went wide again and she put a hand to her cheek, which was already starting to redden. She stared at him in utter disbelief. The fear, the hurt in her expression… was unbelievably rewarding.

And then she frowned, and smacked him right back. Much harder than he would have anticipated. She had done it so quickly, too, he didn't even have a chance to react.

"How dare you…" her voice was low, like when she had picked him up from school. That low, cool voice that let Mariku know he wasn't the one in control. And she was right. Her house, her terms – he was at a disadvantage.

"What did you expect?" He demanded. "You're forcing all this on me, you do realize that don't you?"

"Because that's exactly what you need!" She snapped. "Miss Kujaku pretty much gave up on you, and I got your father to behave, you said so yourself! If he still bothers you, we can take care of it!"

"I'm not completely helpless, I can handle myself!"

"You just sit in your little rut and let the world pass you by, and everyone else has let you do that all these years – well it's high time you broke out of it!"

"Why can't you just leave me be? I don't want this!"

"Are you happy?" The stern tone in her voice lifted slightly. The pain was still there in her eyes, but it was different somehow. "Can you honestly tell me right now that you are happy, that you are satisfied with your life? If you do, you can leave, I swear I won't bother you again."

Mariku was at a loss for words, as he was so often.

"I'm not trying to force you to be with me…" she continued. "I've never really had a relationship before, I don't totally know how to approach it… but even if I didn't have a crush on you, no one deserves a life of total apathy. If you don't want this, you can walk away, but don't do it because you just want your life to stay the same. I – I thought if I asked you, you'd say no, ok? I'm sorry…"

"You're not a savior."

"I know that. This isn't a cure-all, I'm not saying it is… it's just a first step, a wake up call. We can get you a therapist if you want, you can get away from your dad – but you have to _care_!"

He closed his eyes and rubbed at his temples. "What am I to you, Dee?"

She calmed a little more. "You're Mariku – you've been my crush since sophomore year! You're that really quiet kid who sits in the back and never talks to anyone, but I knew. I knew when I saw you what was going on in your house, and I – and I saw myself, alright?"

The tears flowed freely at this point. She pressed her face into her hands to muffle out the sobbing. He let her cry as he thought over her words. How could she care so much? How could her heart just bleed like this? Dee was a good girl. Crazy – but a good girl.

"So what am I to you?" She asked shyly.

_Oh… great…_

Mariku bit his bottom lip, trying to form a response carefully.

"Dee. We only have that one thing in common. What makes you think I want to work for you? What do you expect to happen, huh? We get married and have a bunch of kids and grow old together? I don't even want to live that long…"

She burst into tears yet again. "I don't know!"

"You can't just force a lifestyle on me. You can't change me like that."

"Mariku!" She spread her arms out, as if trying to reach out for him. She looked rather desperate. "I'm not trying to change you! I'd never change you! When people break their arms, they wear a cast to get better! That doesn't change them! You've gone through so many years with a broken life, consider this your cast!"

They stared at each other. She kept her arms out, tears still streaming but she stopped sobbing. Mariku could feel himself trembling slightly.

And then… he started to chuckle.

Dee jumped at this. She brought her arms down, folding her hands into her chest in a protective manner.

Mariku smiled at her. He got it. She was trying to help him in the only way she knew how. Maybe it wasn't the best form of action, but it was something. And maybe it wouldn't end well, but they had something good now. And maybe he wouldn't hurt her like he had Malik, because she was Dee, and Dee could take care of herself.

And maybe things would end ok for them because that happened sometimes, when all the right cards were played. But she was right when she said he wanted to stay and find out.

He stepped up to her. She tried to get away, but her back hit the door. She gasped a little.

"You're really bad at metaphors." He teased, pressing a hand under her chin. He kissed her then.

Dee was still in shock, but relaxed after a moment, and kissed him back. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, pulling him in. He could feel her tears against his cheeks now, unsure if they were fading or if she was still crying. But he pushed her back into the door all the same, his hands on either side of her as he continued the kiss.

She ran her fingers through his hair like she had done the first time. She opened her mouth up, and their tongues touched. Lightly, though, and only a few times, then they pressed their lips back together.

Finally the two pulled away, breathing deeply. Dee kept her arms around him, however, as if afraid he would run away or something. He moved his hands down onto her hips, pulling her into an embrace.

"Mariku…"

"Thank you, Dee."

She sobbed, but also smiled. She pressed her face against his chest, and he rested his chin on the top of her head.

"That's really great and all, honey…" she said quietly. He wasn't too sure how he felt about that nickname… it might have to go, however he let it slide for now. "But if we don't clean that orange juice up soon, it'll ruin the carpeting."

…

"Now you're sure your dad won't be mad at you for coming home so late?" Dee asked as she drove.

Mariku shook his head. "Nah – if he cares, I'll just tell him I was at your place, it'll be fine."

"Ok… you're still welcome over anytime. I know daddy was a bit cold, but he's really sweet once he's warmed up to you."

"It's fine." Honestly, Mr. Magi's behavior was the only 'normal' thing about today.

She smiled a little, and then hummed to herself. He leaned back and listened. It would be a good time to go over everything that just happened – Dee was focused on driving, but if he had any questions, she was right there.

So his life was planned out now? He was going to go be a business major and then work for her company? Well… it might be better than running two states away. Safer, at any rate.

He wasn't sure he could afford anything fancy, however. Then again, if he got the job, he'd be able to pay back his loans.

So that was it? His life was set in stone? He had never really thought of it that way before – he had always gone with the flow, done whatever was necessary to get by, be it legal or not. Just survive. That was the key. But graduating high school had always been open territory. He didn't have a plan, and he liked it that way. It made things less predictable, it made things exciting.

Mariku looked over at the girl driving. He never in a million years thought he'd be here, with her – a person who had a rather crazed crush on him. He smiled. It wasn't like he was bored. She was unpredictable – hanging around her had been fun, all things considered. Frustrating as hell, but still fun. Having a set plan wouldn't be so bad, now he had something to strive for. And that had been her intentions.

She was both a spoiled brat and a selfless person. Probably because she went from a broken lifestyle to being an heiress, but it was obvious she had grown used to getting what she wanted. Yet this wasn't completely about her, she truly wanted to help Mariku. This was just her strange manner of showing it.

As long as he was with Dee, he wouldn't get bored.

…

"You realize I'm going to get a very angry phone call tomorrow for standing her up, right?" Jounouchi demanded as they walked through the bleachers.

"It's just Anzu, how mad can she get?" Mariku replied, giving him a light shove forward.

"It took me three months to ask her out!"

"Tell her I kidnapped you, she'll buy it."

"Good, cuz that's what happened!"

"Sit down and eat your hot dog."

The two sat in the front row, after Mariku pushed aside a few other people. Jounouchi angrily ripped at the tinfoil and ate away at his hot dog. He didn't bother to look at Mariku, but that didn't stop him from talking.

"I don't even – _gulp_ – get why you wanted to go… you've never had an interest in football before!

"Relax, we're just staying for the half time show."

"Then what the hell did you drag me here for?" Jounouchi demanded, practically throwing the remains of his food on the ground.

"In case I need someone to talk to." Mariku replied matter-of-factly.

The other boy groaned. "You know I'm only doing this cuz we've been friends since middle school, right? And just cuz I'm a nice guy..."

"Uh-huh."

Mariku kept his eyes on the playing field, waiting for halftime to come. Jounouchi kept quiet for the most part, until a rather confused and slightly put-off Anzu called him on his cell.

"Yeah, it surprised me too, but… what could I do? Listen, I'll make it up to you, I promise! How about I take you to lunch tomorrow? Dentist appointment? Alright, ah…"

Finally, it went off, and the cheerleaders ran out. And there she was. Smiling, jumping, chanting some nonsense that no one could understand anyway. It suited her, really.

So this was the result from having passion over something. This is what it looked like when you cared.

He wondered if she would spot him in the crowd – he was never one to blend in. But even if she did, she wouldn't be able to show it. He'd have to ask her afterwards.

"Um, Mariku…" Jounouchi nudged him.

"Hm?"

"Is this all about Dee?"

Mariku glanced at him.

"Cuz I mean, you've kinda had her on the brain lately."

"We're sort of seeing each other."

"Really?" Jounouchi was surprised, but not as much as the others. He seemed more glad than shocked, like he was somehow proud of Mariku. He patted him on the shoulder. "Good for you!"

"Thanks."

Mariku went back to looking at Dee. She looked so cute out there. She always looked cute, but now especially, because she was so full of passion.

He remembered her pictures on the fireplace – how she had barely any emotion. So this girl had been abused, eh? She knew what it was like to be a hollow shell, to just get through day after day. Looking at her now, he could almost recognize it. He could almost see the once broken girl – it was something you had to go through to fully comprehend.

And she had gotten out of it.

Mariku had met other people who had gone through what he was experiencing, but none of them had ever reached out like she had. She was borderline forcing him out of it, but maybe he really did need that push. As she had said, he lived his life broken, and he had no desire to change it.

But maybe… he could be like her. He could be full of passion, have a reason to live, a will to strive on beyond the simple instinct to survive. And for the first time… he liked the sound of that.

…

_A few months later… _

It was the last day of school. Tomorrow he would graduate, and his life would move forward. A lot had change, and yet much remained the same.

Jounouchi went steady with Anzu, so he wasn't around as often as he used to be. Malik was still out of the picture, and Bakura was only a nuisance every once in a while, as always.

Dee spent as much time with him as possible, which mostly had to be done outside of school, since they had few classes and no lunches together. She drove him around, even after his dad finally gave him back his car keys.

Her father had warmed up to him, especially after they had explained Mariku's home life. He was now welcomed any time. Although he always had been – Dee wouldn't have let her father keep him from coming over. His home life hadn't changed, but he rarely saw his father anymore.

Although there had been an incident where his father followed them to Dee's house. The police had been involved and a restraining order was filed.

Mariku started seeing a therapist after that. He had been resistant at first, but Dee was Dee and of course took none of that. The boy wouldn't admit it, but he was feeling a little better. His violent thoughts were still around, but they had lessened.

Their plans were still the same – they would go to the same college, and he would intern at her company afterwards. She didn't make him to do anything beyond that. She learned to take baby steps with him, like introducing him to bands and movies she thought he might enjoy. Her philosophy was the same – she was fixing him, not changing him, and he believed her because he never felt he had to prove anything or act differently around her.

He enjoyed her company; he hadn't felt this happy in a long time.

Today was the last day of school. Dee was going to her father's summerhouse before college, and Mariku had been invited. He wondered what it'd be like to spend three months at a beach…

His thoughts were interrupted when he felt a tap on his shoulder. It didn't surprise him when he saw who it was. However, it _did_ surprise him to see what she was holding. Dee handed the letter over to him.

He stared at it for a moment. He recalled the first time she had sent him one of these, just how simple the message had been.

"_Hey, this is kinda awkward but… I think you're really cute!"_

Who knew all this could come from that? But he smiled. It was a quirky gesture that almost made him feel nostalgic.

So he opened it.

"_Will you go out with me?" _

He blinked. It had never really occurred to him, but they weren't "officially" a couple. Mariku had always just told people what he had told Jounouchi at the football game – they were "sort of" seeing each other.

But that wasn't the case now. They went to places together, they had future plans together, they made out, and all that other crap couples did.

Mariku looked up at her. She was practically bouncing where she stood, waiting for his answer.

So that's what she wanted – just a little reassurance that he felt the same way she did. She wanted him to be her boyfriend. Mariku still never thought about it much. Dee was there. She was always there, and he liked it. That's all he knew. But did that mean he had romantic feelings for her?

Because if he didn't, this was in the long run, a waste of time. It wouldn't be fair to lead her on and give her false hope after she had done so much for him. This letter, this question, was it.

_Dee _

Dee was everything to him, whether he wanted her to be or not. He couldn't force his feelings, but he also didn't mind their situation. But he never fully answered himself when he asked just what Dee was to him.

What would it mean for her to be his girlfriend? Would they really get married and all that?

Thinking about it… the idea was almost comforting – the thought of her never leaving. The thought of falling in love with her was peaceful, and that was not something he often felt.

And then he realized that's how it's always been – Dee was able to make him feel in a way he rarely could. And he didn't want to lose any of that. He didn't want to lose her.

So, he pulled out a pen, and scribbled his answer beneath her large handwriting, and passed it back to her.

She bit her lip as she took it. But then a smile spread across on face when she read it, and she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him. There were a few gasps around the cafeteria, but they didn't care.

Dee took a seat next to him, and continued to clutch on. Eventually, Mariku pressed his hand on her hip and pulled her closer. That was their relationship, after all. She would make the first move, and he would follow.

This was the start of the rest of their lives.

…

**A/N: Y'all can ignore this part…**

**I wanted to give a brief explanation as to why I chose to portray Mariku the way I did in this. Granted, I don't think I made him IC – it's a high school AU fic, no one's IC, but regardless, this was based on headcanons.**

**I've been rewatching YGO a lot lately, and have noticed that Mariku has… vulnerabilities that I don't think really get explored. For example, when he and Malik switch back, he's literally begging for his life to be spared, and in the manga he goes as far as calling Malik "master". So he does feel fear. And when he shows grief over his family in ep 92, a lot of people are mixed on it because he lets it go so quickly, but I think it's genuine. He was born of Malik's hatred, he wants to kill the Pharaoh especially and he does mention a 3,000 year grudge frequently. I think he's capable of feeling more than hatred and such, he just represses it because without it, he's just Malik.**

**But anyway, point being, he has vulnerabilities, and since this is a shipping fic, I wanted to focus on that aspect.**

**Speaking of shipping, I do really like the idea of someone having a crush on him rather than vice versa. He wants to kill everyone, but conversely, everyone hates him and wants him dead too because he's not "the real Malik". So it makes me wonder how he'd react if someone legitimately crushed on him. It's probably my shipper, fangirl heart telling me he'd at least be curious before killing them, but hey, I can dream…**

**As for him being obsessed with systems – that's how I see him operating in the show. He knows "only certain duelists can control the god cards", "oh I have to chant this to get Ra to show up", "Oh I need Monster Reborn to blah blah blah." He says he wants to break the rules, but really he follows them :'D**

**And then as for him having a blank room and not liking music, again, that's how I would see him being in the show. He hates humans, music and movies come from humans, so in all technicality, he couldn't be a fan of anyone.**

**Again, I'm not saying I portrayed him IC, I highly exaggerated all these aspects I've theorized cuz… high school AU and I wanted a semi-stable romance… but I'd like to think I still have some backing for him .**

**Also I sincerely hope this doesn't come off as me romanticizing abuse or anything. I'm really not trying to, I apologize if it feels like I am, this is just the result of me trying to write something fluffy between non-fluffy characters.**


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